מלמדים ות"ת

And this we read every single year. For "His dominion is in every generation" — each year this aspect is accomplished anew, beginning the Torah from sidra to sidra each Shabbos until completing it at the conclusion of the seal within the seal of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, which is on Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. And it is all in order to illuminate and draw the holiness of Shabbos, which is the way of teshuvah in the world. For I heard from his holy mouth, zichrono livrachah, after he said the aforementioned Torah, that wherever there is a true Rav and a talmid who learns from him, there is formed this aspect of Moshe and Yehoshua and the Ohel Mo'ed — through which the essential drawing of the way of teshuvah into the world comes about. And in this they are engaged from Elul until Shemini Atzeres, and then they read the Haftorah from Yehoshua — which is the first Haftorah, for all the haftoros from the Nevi'im are in the aspect of Yehoshua, the first book of the Nevi'im. For Yehoshua is the lower point, through whom the aspect of Moshe illuminates in every generation, every year, the way of teshuvah into the world, as mentioned above. 52

It is stated that one's father and mother give the levush — the garment — to his soul. The soul itself is the intellect (saichel), as Rabbainu wrote (Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 5). It follows that all of one's intelligence and comprehension is received through the garment that one receives from one's father and mother.

It has been explained throughout all the above that the essential rectification is Shabbos — which is a "good gift" etc. And the main thing: through Shabbos everyone will merit teshuvah, through which the redemption will come. Therefore one must be very careful to honor Shabbos and remember it always. For Shabbos is the tachlis — the aspect of "the purpose of heaven and earth" etc. This is why they conclude the Haftorah of Yom Kippur — which speaks of teshuvah — with the keeping of Shabbos, as it is written there (Yeshayahu 58): "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbos… then you shall delight upon Hashem" etc. For the essential teshuvah is on Yom Kippur, and even Yom Kippur receives from Shabbos. For Shabbos is the "head of all the sacred times," as we say, "and You blessed it above all the times" — for all the teshuvah rectification of Yom Kippur is through Shabbos. Therefore they conclude the Haftorah of Yom Kippur with the keeping of Shabbos. 53

And to whatever degree illumination is added to that garment, so does the light of one's soul — that is, one's wisdom (chachmah) — increase correspondingly. This is therefore the reason one is obligated to honour them: because through the honour one gives them, illumination is thereby added to their souls, as is explained in the discourse entitled "Dirshu" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 37), on the rabbinic teaching: "Be careful regarding an elder who has forgotten his learning, to honour him" — and "Be careful regarding the children of the unlearned (amay ha'aretz), to honour them, for from them Torah will emerge." See there.

Through this you will see wonders in the Torah — how everything is arranged in a wondrous order. For this reason Moshe Rabeinu placed the parshah of keeping Shabbos before the parshah of the sin of the Golden Calf, as is evident in Parshas Ki Sisa — which speaks of the Mishkan, then: "But My Shabbasos you shall keep… and the children of Yisrael shall keep the Shabbos… an eternal covenant between Me and the children of Yisrael" — and immediately afterward begins speaking of the sin of the Calf. This is to reveal and make known the kindnesses of Hashem and His wonders: that in His wondrous kindness He always precedes the remedy to the affliction, as our Sages said (Megillah 13b). Before this evil and bitter deed of the sin of the Golden Calf — through which they caused damage for all generations and brought about all the churbanos, for they drew the yetzer hara back upon themselves, from which all the damages come even now — He preceded and made known to us in His Torah the holiness of Shabbos Kodesh, placing it first, to show that He has already preceded the rectification and the remedy, which is the holiness of Shabbos that we receive from the true Tzadikim, the aspect of Moshe. Through this everything will be rectified, for through this the way of teshuvah is drawn into the world. Therefore the thousand lights that were withdrawn through the sin of the Golden Calf are returned to Moshe on Shabbos, and Moshe returns them to Yisrael, as is written in the kavanos — for the essential rectification of the sin of the Golden Calf is through Shabbos. 54

The general principle is this: the root of everything is honour (kavod), and every thing yearns toward its root. Therefore, through honour, the soul begins to awaken and reveal itself. See there.

Therefore at the entrance of Shabbos we say Mizmor Shir Li'Yoam HaShabbos — the psalm that Adam HaRishon said at the entrance of Shabbos, close to his sin, as our Sages said — for "Shabbos protected him." And this is the aspect of what is written in the tale of the Two Children Who Were Exchanged — that when one is pursued from Gan Eden, one must station oneself by Shabbos, as is written there, and as brought above. Therefore he said there (Tehillim 92): "How great are Your works, Hashem; exceedingly deep are Your thoughts. A boorish man does not know… But You are exalted forever, Hashem." Rashi explains: "Forever Your hand is on high." That is — he saw immediately that even though the Samech-Mem and his forces provoked so much that they caused him to sin on the very first day — from which would result everything that would result — nevertheless, in His mercy Hashem rested Ruach HaKodesh upon him, and he immediately said Mizmor Shir Li'Yoam HaShabbos and concluded: "But You are exalted forever, Hashem" — for forever Your hand is on high. For through the power of Shabbos holiness, His G-dliness will be revealed always — through the Tzadikim — even in ikvesa d'Meshicha, even in these last generations where the concealment within the concealment has intensified without end. Nevertheless, the way of teshuvah will continue to be drawn into the world — the aspect of "If I ascend to heaven… and if I make my bed in She'ol, behold You" — through the holiness of Shabbos. 55

And this is the meaning of the verse: "Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be lengthened." For "length of days" (arichas yamim) refers to the attainment of wisdom (chachmah), as Rabbainu explains in numerous places, in accordance with the verse, "Wisdom gives life" (הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה). That is: through the honour one gives them, their soul grows — and through this, the garment that was drawn to one from them shines all the more brightly — and then one merits to comprehend and receive wisdom through that garment, as explained above. This is the meaning of "length of days."

And this is also what we say afterward in the psalm "Hashem has reigned, He has donned grandeur" etc. (Tehillim 93): "More than the voices of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea — mighty on high is Hashem." For even though the many waters and mighty breakers of the sea overwhelm every person so greatly — in the aspect of "all Your breakers and waves have passed over me" (Tehillim 42) — nevertheless, mightier than all of them is Hashem on high. He will finish everything according to His will and bring everything to the true, eternal, good end — for He has already preceded and given Yisrael the holiness of Shabbos. Therefore we say this at the entrance of Shabbos. 56

Therefore, even one who has sinned greatly, chas v'shalom — as long as he is not a mumar to anger [Hashem] or to desecrate Shabbos, he is included in Klal Yisrael etc. But a mumar to desecrate Shabbos is like a mumar to the entire Torah and leaves the category of Yisrael. For the essential sustaining of the holiness of Yisrael is through Shabbos, as mentioned above. 57

Therefore, in everything that passes over a person, one must remember Shabbos always. Especially regarding parnasah — for one must sanctify all the activities and commerce, which are included in the thirty-nine melachos, with the holiness of Shabbos, as Rabeinu z"l wrote (siman 38). For one must remember that the essential blessing of parnasah is from Shabbos — "from which all six days are blessed." And likewise when thoughts pursue a person greatly — one must station oneself by Shabbos, which is rest and repose. For the essential rectification of thought is to be "sit and do not act" — even in thought, as is written elsewhere — and to nullify oneself in the holiness of Shabbos and direct one's thought into the Torah that was given on Shabbos, from which all chidushei Torah are drawn. And likewise regarding jealousy, hatred, and machlokes between a person and his fellow or between husband and wife — which is very common and very damaging as is known — one must remind oneself of the holiness of Shabbos, which is shalom, the aspect of "Shabbos Shalom." And in everything that passes over a person each and every day, one must flee in thought to the holiness of Shabbos — all through the power of the Tzadikim who make known to us the holiness of Shabbos. 58

And this is: "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbos" (Yeshayahu 58) — for the main thing is to rectify the aspect of the raglayim [feet], which are the vessels of walking, to walk in the way of the Torah, in the ways of teshuvah mentioned above — in the aspect of "my foot has stood on a straight path" (Tehillim 26). For the essential birur is in the aspect of the raglayim, for there is all their [the kelipos'] hold — in the aspect of "her feet descend" etc. (Mishlay 5). For this is the aspect of the intensity of the provocation that the ba'al davar provokes now, in these generations, both collectively and individually. For now it is ikvesa d'Meshicha — the aspect of the raglayim, where the hold of the Sitra Achra and the kelipos is very great. Therefore one must know that now, in these generations, when a person exerts himself with even a slight movement to return to Hashem, it is exceedingly precious to Hashem — more than the great avodos of the earlier generations, as is brought in the writings of the Arizal and in the words of the Ba'al Shem Tov z"l, and especially from the words of Admo"r z"l. Therefore the essential end of the redemption is "when the feet reach the feet" — and there will be fulfilled: "And His feet shall stand on that day" etc. — as is brought extensively in the writings of the Arizal. And all the rectification is through Shabbos, in the aspect of "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbos" etc. 59

For this world as a whole is the aspect of the raglayim — "and the earth is My footstool" — the aspect of the lower point, which is the aspect of silence and waiting: "Be still before Hashem"… "Only to G-d is my soul silent"… "It is good to wait in stillness for the salvation of Hashem" — meaning silence and waiting. For in this world one must only wait. For it is a passing shadow, a dissipating cloud, a blowing wind. People must pass through it for the test and the refining. The main thing is to stand in the test and wait in all things — not to chase any superfluous desire. What one truly needs — one should have trust and always wait for Hashem's salvation. Through this one merits sanctifying all the activities of the six weekdays, connecting them to Shabbos — whereby the aspect of Adam to sit upon the Throne is formed. For through the stillness and silence, one sanctifies the weekday activities, drawing through the six weekdays the aspect of the Vav within the Aleph — binding oneself to the upper point, the Kisei d'miskasya, from which the essential Shabbos holiness derives. For Shabbos in general is the upper point, and the world in general is the lower point. Through sanctifying the weekdays via stillness and silence, one draws through the six weekdays — the Vav — from the upper point to the lower point, forming the aspect of Adam, which is the way of teshuvah. 60

This is: "If you restrain your foot because of Shabbos, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day" — for all the resting on Shabbos from pursuing one's affairs is in the aspect of "restrain your foot because of Shabbos," for all the berurim are in the raglayim, and therefore any pursuit of one's affairs is forbidden on this holy and awesome day. And this is: "And you shall call Shabbos a delight" — for the essential Shabbos holiness is specifically to fulfill Oneg Shabbos, which comprises the three meals of Shabbos, which are the aspect of Eden, Nahar, Gan — the three mitzvos mentioned above, the three points, which are the way of teshuvah. And this is: "And to the holy one of Hashem, honored — and you shall honor it from doing your ways" — the rectification of kavod, to merit Divine honor through the ways of teshuvah, as is explained in the aforementioned Torah on this verse. 61

And this is: "From pursuing your affairs and speaking words" — "that your speech on Shabbos should not be like your speech on a weekday" (Shabbos 113b). For in truth the essential elevation of speech is on Shabbos. Then the raglayim ascend — which are the aspect of speech, in the aspect of "righteousness you shall speak" (Tehillim 58), the aspect of "righteousness calls him to his foot" (Yeshayahu 41) — the aspect of "righteousness shall walk before him" (Tehillim 85). For speech is the aspect of Malchus-Peh [Kingship-Mouth], whose essential ascent is on Shabbos, Malchesa [the Queen]. During the six weekdays — this world — one must only be silent, as our Sages said (Chullin 89) on the verse "Do you indeed speak righteousness in silence?": "What should a person do in this world? Make himself like a mute." For it is forbidden to speak any words of worldly affairs — only words of Torah and prayer. As they said: "Perhaps even words of Torah [should be silent]? The verse teaches: 'Righteousness you shall speak.'" And as they said (Yoma 19b): "And you shall speak of them — and not of idle matters." But one cannot survive without speech; one must speak about worldly needs. Only, one must bind all the words to the Torah — that all one's words in commerce and the like be for the eternal purpose, as Admo"r z"l wrote (siman 29). But on Shabbos, even this is forbidden — for it is forbidden to engage in commerce or any melachah; even speech of weekday affairs is forbidden, even with truly holy intent. For even the Mishkan construction is pushed aside before Shabbos — all the more so all other commerce, even if conducted faithfully like the work of the Mishkan, as Rabeinu z"l wrote (siman 11). On Shabbos, only speech of Shabbos is permitted: words of Torah and prayer and praises and thanks to Hashem, and to sing zemiros of Shabbos, to thank Hashem with a full heart in great and immense joy — that He gave us in His compassion this good gift that was hidden in His treasure house, which is the holiness of Shabbos. For Shabbos is above speech — all words are drawn from Shabbos. Shabbos is the aspect of the supernal silence that is above speech, the aspect of "a fence for wisdom is silence" — the aspect of Keser, the aspect of "Wait!" For the root of speech is in thought, which is the aspect of silence. Speech is the aspect of Chochmah — "for Hashem gives wisdom; from His mouth" etc. (Mishlay 2) — and its root is Keser, silence: "A fence for wisdom is silence" — the silence surrounds the Chochmah/speech like a fence. One must be silent before speaking, settling one's mind well before bringing forth the word, and likewise between one word and the next. Therefore they said (Megillah 18): "A word is worth a sela; silence is worth two." For silence is above speech, its root and rectification. All this is drawn from Shabbos — Keser, Kisei d'miskasya — where is the secret of silence, the aspect of "wisest of the silent ones, discerning of whispers" (Yeshayahu 3). On Shabbos it is forbidden to speak any words except words of Shabbos — drawn from the supernal silence, words of settled mind, words of emunah to cleave through them to Hashem: "I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth" (Tehillim 89) — "And the seventh day praises and says: Mizmor Shir Li'Yoam HaShabbos — it is good to give thanks to Hashem" etc. 62

And this is: "Then you shall delight upon Hashem" — "upon Hashem" specifically, which is the Oraisa d'Atika Steema'a [Torah of the Ancient Concealed One], the aspect of "upon Hashem" (as brought in the Torah "LaShemesh" siman 49, Likutay Part 1) — which is above the revealed Torah, where the essential teshuvah is, the aspect of Shabbos, as brought elsewhere. And this is: "And I will mount you upon the heights of the earth, and I will feed you the heritage of Yaakov your father" — which is a heritage without boundaries. Through Shabbos one merits that all the metzarim [straits/boundaries] of holiness are nullified — through which come all the churbanos, collectively and individually, in the aspect of "all her pursuers overtook her between the straits" (Shabbos 118). For one who holds onto the power of Shabbos holiness — the aspect of the power of the holiness of the Tzadik, who is "Shabbos of all the days" — no meitzar can distance him from Hashem. For from everything he will return to Hashem, for he will merit the ways of teshuvah — the expertise of ayeil and nafik, the aspect of "and if I make my bed in She'ol, behold You." For Yaakov's bed was complete — he nullifies the kelipah of Eisav and Yishmael, who are the metzarim of holiness that destroyed the Beis HaMikdash. For Yaakov and Moshe are considered as one — the aspect of the true Tzadik who draws the holiness of Shabbos, the ways of teshuvah. Therefore through keeping Shabbos received from the true Tzadik, one merits a heritage without boundaries — nothing can distance from Hashem, chas v'shalom. From everything one returns to Hashem. 63

And this is what our Sages concluded there, in their teaching on the verse "Do you indeed [speak righteousness]" cited above: "Perhaps even if he becomes haughty? The verse teaches: 'With equity you shall judge the sons of Adam.'" For this verse speaks of the ways of teshuvah mentioned above. The essential teshuvah is that one should make oneself like a wilderness and not be arrogant at all. When one hears one's disgrace, one should be still and silent and be among "those who are insulted but do not insult, who hear their disgrace and do not respond" — as is explained in the aforementioned Torah. This is what was stated there: "What should a person do in this world? Make himself like a mute" — for one must be silent and be like a mute, which is the essential teshuvah, as David said (Tehillim 38): "And I am like a deaf man, I do not hear; like a mute who does not open his mouth." To this they said: "Perhaps even regarding words of Torah? The verse teaches: 'Righteousness you shall speak'" — for words of Torah one certainly must speak, for through this comes the entire teshuvah rectification and rescue from all evil, as our Sages said (Sukkah 52b, Kiddushin 30b): "If this repulsive one confronts you, drag him to the Beis HaMidrash." And our Sages said regarding teshuvah (Vayikra Rabbah 25): "If one was accustomed to learning one page, let him learn two" etc. 64